You know, Mike,
I'm wondering
where do
where to James Harden, go? Where does the word is James
Harden? Go? Where does Kyrie Irving? Go?
Where does some of these guys go
the rest of us, just don't know about. They're able to kind of
overcome The Human Condition. They're over able to overcome
Humanity
in general.
And and not take things personally
that are actually personal
like James Harden asked for a trade
out of Brooklyn to Philadelphia. So, this is just
another game. Even though he asked for the trade,
Kyrie Irving was sitting alongside
Kevin Durant, who did take it personally, shout out, Kevin
Durant, who did take it personally and didn't draft
James Harden on his All-Star, basketball team,
because he was in his feelings, rightfully, so.
Because he's human
I really like that. Can we just
push that stuff aside and embrace
Embrace that? This is a very personal
very intense matchup
between the Nets
and the 76ers. They're in the same conference. They're both
going for championships. James Harden thinks he's right. Daryl
Morey thinks, he's right. Ben Simmons is not feeling
Philadelphia
and he hopes he's in a better situation with the Brooklyn
Nets, too. This is what basketball supposed to be
about, man. Let's not play this game. Like it's just some
sanitized another game on the schedule.
We got to do what we do. It's about us. It's not about them.
Are you feeling me on that me? Like, let's just go ahead. It's,
it's an intense rivalry now.
I don't think it's personal
for them. I think it's okay.
So no personal for us was that person the people who are, who
have been invested in the storyline. I think it's in,
I think it's personal for Philly fans. I think it's personal
when a person prevents one person
and one person only and that's Ben Simmons.
The only person for whom it's personal
is Ben. Simmons is literally personal for Ben Simmons.
Kevin Durant said something I thought was very thoughtful.
The Nets last game
in anticipation of tonight's equal to trade in places
that I think speaks to how much this is business and not
personal. So you got to realize these new dudes, you know what
I mean? Like,
there's a difference between Petty and personal,
so Kevin Durant can be Petty on TNT
and not drab James Harden.
Okay, right, but personal
know, it's not personal its business. And part of
the reason is business is Because of how they all operate. Kevin
Durant has changed teams twice.
Controversially
less so with golden state, but controversially both times.
So, Kevin Durant has had his personal reasons for making
business career decisions. First, leaving, Oklahoma, state
to join the team against whom the Thunder. Infamously, blew
a 3-1 lead. Join us 73 win, Golden State Warriors team
and has never lived that down for a lot of people.
Then, at the end and Golden State, when that relationship
ran, its course, obviously joined up with Kyrie. Ring
in Brooklyn Kyrie Irving, you just talk about Kyrie Irving
and the reception that he received in Boston and he
likened Boston to the ex-girlfriend as waiting for
a text. Even though as you
pointed out Celtics fans and the Celtics is an organization.
They've moved on. Okay.
So Kyrie Irving has been there. Done that twice as well.
Demanding, a trade away from LeBron.
To Boston and then deciding after a couple of years to
leave Boston to join up for a super team with Brooklyn.
Personal
is Kyrie Irving deciding
that basketball is not so important
that I'm going to get a vaccine, a covid-19 vaccine it.
I don't believe is right, for me. That's personal. So, what
I'm saying, is I think Kevin Durant was being truthful.
You've been thoughtful and honest
the other day. When he said, you look at it from James
Harden's perspective and maybe if you want Michael, if you
want, maybe it was a little bit of sir. Shade if you want,
he's never won a championship. He never wanted champ. Kyrie.
Kyrie Irving has made one of the greatest shots in NBA
history.
I got two of them things and to Finals. MVP s right. Says Kevin
Durant. The one guy who doesn't have a championship. His
biological clock is ticking.
So he panicked. He looked at Kevin Durant. It said he's
hurt.
He looked at Kyrie Irving and saying he's part time.
I got to make the best move for me.
So the reason is not personal.
For when it comes to James Harden is both those guys Kyrie
Irving and Kevin Durant,
even, even though they can look at it and look at it with
a side. I for his rationale, still understand what it means
to make a personal basketball decision,
but on the other hand,
it is 100% personal, with Ben Simmons. We're talking about his
mental health and the fines of the accrue. For mental health.
Danny Green was
red with Danny. Green was talking about how he
used to play GM in the Sixers locker room
and come up with.
It's for Ben Simmons, you know, it's personal when it comes to
Ben Simmons, and Joel and be and it's obviously personal for
the fans of Philadelphia. But when it comes to James Harden,
now, James Harden,
he's a Hired Gun at this point.
Let me tell you.
It's personal for all of them.
I don't believe it. Like, okay,
great. Kevin Durant does, give give good interviews.
I don't believe them,
Mike. I just don't believe him. Look, you go to Brooklyn and
you said it, right? He did Panic James Harden Panic,
you go to Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving
and then James Harden comes on board.
And all of a sudden y'all Rollin Team Rolling teams,
like an offensive Juggernaut,
and it was amazing to watch
for 16 games.
Okay, but they were doing their thing. They were doing it
and
now, James Harden when you're hurt. See, that's what's even
more personal when you're hurt and you're just thinking.
I know you never heard this phrase before,
you're thinking of your Kevin Durant,
hold the Rope.
Okay?
Little inside baseball, but you're saying, hey just hold
on. I'll be back. Cavalry is coming. You ain't got no
problems. Jules. Calvary is on the way. We'll be there.
Directly.
All of a sudden James Harden, start stripping,
and he won't tell them that he wants to be traded, but he's
not opposed to them trading him. Him, it was personal for
him
because he didn't like, what Kyrie Irving was doing and
checks out.
It was personal. It was personal. I'm sure for Irving
is personal for Durant personally. I like
the Philadelphia thing, but personal but let's let's define
less than a personal
personal and hard feelings
person have hard feelings.
Yeah, it was personal for James Harden in that for my career.
This is what I need to do.
And this is not what I signed up for for you to be
unvaccinated available on a road game. If you to be hurt.
So I'm gonna personally decide to
sabotage your situation, so that I could force my way to
where I wanted to go all along, which was to my BFF Daryl Morey
and the MVP Contender Joyland be
personal in that regard hard feelings. No,
understand the egos at play here.
Because in order for there to be hard feelings,
Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving
have to feel like they need James Harden.
The They want James Harden, sure,
but two duels as equally capable of putting up. 50
points on any given night,
two of the best players most gifted players in the NBA.
I don't think that they're sitting back,
bemoaning the departure of James Harden
because they don't believe that they need James Harden,
because if that was the case, Kevin Durant would have made
a much bigger. Think about Kyrie Irving choosing to be part time
for personal reasons.
And it would be, they would be walking around with their heads
hanging. They don't these dudes are Hooper's
high-level. Hooper's, they are. That ain't sitting around
saying, man, man, if we only had James Harden, no, OK.
James. Do you
you're only going to want
their Hooper's and human superhuman. It's like a naked
again. Not super Hetty not super think you're blocking me,
but
they can be Petty and they can say, they can judge James
Harden on his professionalism or lack thereof
allegedly. When it came to how it ended in Brooklyn,
but okay. I'm human too.
I don't care. I don't need, I don't depend on anybody else.
I'm gonna do me. I know what I'm capable of. So I'ma Do me
regardless of what somebody else is doing in any Walk of
Life.
I'm Gonna Keep It pushing.
They don't keep it pushing. They're not sitting up here
laying in the fetal position.
You know what that mean?
It's for the Wolverine me,
where they went. What if somebody laying in the bed,
with Wolverines laying, in the bed, looking at the picture?
That's not them, that that's not them at night. Looking at
James Harden, wishing. James Harden, it shows them
that Kevin Durant's, the best player in the world. Kyrie
Irving believes. He's the best player in the world. You think
they worry about, what about James Harden?
No sweat hat. This is here it is.
Yeah, you'll do you
and other people will do themselves, right? Okay,
but if somebody lets you down, if somebody crosses you, if
somebody falls short, you might forgive. What did he? Okay
narrate, let's just
stop right there.
Did it but did he, but did he did he let them down there?
Let's get that. They're, they're okay. In your opinion,
right? Disagree and partner is our job, and
I don't think about to be I don't under 500 tonight. When
they lose this game, James
James Harden didn't let them down anymore than Kyrie Irving.
Let them down by not getting vaccinated.
I'm sorry.
Here's the thing. Here's the thing. And this is why,
because he bailed, you think they're bitter. Yes. See, let's
see. Let that let down means. I'm depending on you. I don't
think those dudes are.
What do you think that they were depending on him like
that?
Well, especially, especially since they water the sugar.
That's why they got together, but they weren't like, oh my
God, we can't win with,
it's almost like he's saying.
I know you're not saying this. I know, you're not saying this
Michael, so I don't want my words in your mouth. Well, what
is like, oh, we can't win without James Harden.
I don't think that that's what they think.
Well, that's what you think.
All right. I don't think that's what they think.
Here's here's the thing.
Once once our full-time Professor just decided he
wanted to teach night school, you know, couple of times
a week,
you know, we thought we thought you have full-time without
giving full-time office hours. Mr. Master Class, Kyrie Irving,
we signed up for your class.
Oh, we made, you ain't here.
We in New York. You're not in class.
We got to go on the road and find you. Anyway, once Kyrie
Irving decided that he wasn't gonna get stuck. All right,
the the, the rotation, the rotation. And really for
the Brooklyn Nets changed and the expectations change, but
I want to say there, here's one reason you mentioned this
earlier. Here's why Kevin Durant is different than James
Harden
and different than Kyrie Irving
in terms of career decisions,
Kevin Durant. Some people didn't like it. I didn't mind it.
Kevin Durant went from Oklahoma City
to Golden State. Why? Hmm? He was a free agent.
His free agent. He did his time and
Oklahoma City won an MVP.
They were excited about him. Gave one of the great
leadership speeches.
/, MVPs. What is
known as a different moved on did the same thing.
Same thing
you guys for streets? Yes, and again guys know that. See
that's business.
If a guy is, just is able to go wherever he wants his contract
player with player.
Power meant like
there's, there's, there's only a transactional literal
difference between being a free agent and forcing a tree guys,
for Strays all the time. They've been forward to traces,
the beginning
of time, Michael.
Okay, so we just got
back to Boston. We just saw Kyrie Irving. Go back to
Boston. You tell me and it is it personal, but is a personal
between Kyrie Irving.
And members of the Celtics
as innocent
as
Okay,
I'm about TD Garden.
I got you. I got you. Jason Statham, not personal. It's all
love.
Jalen Brown is personal.
They like each other.
So Jacob Brown and Company like each other, but they like each
other when they played together. No, they did not.
There's that. So how many where it is? Yeah. And 2022 in a day
and age when he's dudes, hang out in the summer.
They practice in the summer
players, move all the time
players for Strays all the time. I think that today's player
has a heightened.
Awareness of in a heightened
level of empathy
to other players
taking control of their Destiny. Because number one,
if they decided to hold grudges and
let it be personal.
For people who decided that they were going to go and leave
a team and jump to another team.
It be nothing but glass
people. In Glass Houses throwing bricks,
it be nothing, but pot calling Kettle, blacks
and calling calling kennels black, excuse me, and nobody
would have any friends in the NBA,
and a lot of old-school do hate. The fact that all these
dudes are friends. I was just gonna say, I was just gonna
say, hold on
your scenario, not so bad for me.
It's not so bad. I know, I know.
Sort of people do prefer League when end up with more animals
in it. Yeah, just give me a little bit.
Give me your love it. Now. I didn't have to be that all
the time. Just give me
just a peek. Uh-huh. Just give me a little peek of
1980s basketball. This is a little bit where
there was real hatred, Isaiah Thomas
and Michael. Jordan still can't stand each other. They still
can't Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer can't stand each
other. They were on the same All-Star team and Laimbeer.
A walk on the bus and say,
good morning, Larry. And Larry would say
FU bill, but he'd say the real thing, and it wasn't, they
weren't even joking. So, Kevin Durant and dream. I'm having
custody each other out in Golden State. Next thing, you
know, yeah,
they doing content together. They're doing a lot of doing
interviews together.
Hit it hardens clock is different hardens. Timetable is
Harden's impatient,
hardened feels like I got, I got to win a championship,
gotta win or at least. That's what you want people to
believe.
Yeah. Well, you know, so it's like when you look at it from
here, so that's why I thought that was very mature, very
thoughtful on Katie's part to say, looking at it from his
perspective
because Katie knows what it's like for people to not. Look at it
or not care about what it is and he wants
or Kyrie Irving with no bond. So yeah,
personal life only in so far as making personal decisions, but
not hard feelings.
My last comment on it is this, you know, long time ago. You
probably don't even remember this. It was so long ago. There
was just Sports called baseball Major League Baseball, and
Nick,
you know, used to have
that great players and these have something called the World
Series. I know it's hard to remember that time but baseball
during the regular season, if your team sucked
and you know who you are,
you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you're a fan
of you know, Old School, Kansas City Royals.
Orioles your team sucked.
You can say as a fan you can say during the season
and they can't hit left-handed pitching. They can't hit
left-handed pitching. And the media would say it and you go
to the players and they deny it all up and down, go to
the manager
who would never admit it. And, you know, what would happen?
They go to spring training the next year
and you asked okay, why didn't you do well last year and they
say, well, you know, we didn't hit left-handed pitching. Well,
they will tell you the truth, eventually.
So you mentioned a podcast.
With Draymond Green and Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant is
a podcaster. He's media Savvy,
Kevin Durant, will tell you the truth,
maybe in a couple months season's over. He'll talk about
James Harden.
Don't tell you how, personally,
I'm sure,
I'm sure there are things that James Harden, did. I mean,
there's plenty of reports to this effect. Plenty of things
that James Harden, did
that rubbed, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the wrong way
and vice versa.
But when you say personal, maybe we just had a whole
conversation and I misunderstood you as if tonight
has some kind of deeper meaning
as if there's a point to prove as if the Nets want to show up
in a tight red dress
at the wedding in order to prove that you pick the wrong
one or something. I don't know. That's not what this is.
That's not what this is.
The net I can call worried about their own house.
The Sixers a break like games are ingested opponent now, he's
an opponent. There's there is absolutely nothing personal
for guys who have been there, done it
and gotten the championship t-shirt. There James Harden
does not have maybe I am and maybe I'll give it.
Maybe I'm giving these dues way too much credit.
Maybe I'm giving them way too much credit. Maybe I'm
maybe I think they're more mature
and maybe I'm falling for
their acting jobs. I just think 22 of them moved to often
two of them, you know, make power moves too often.
To judge somebody else. And say, come on this red dress.
I was messed up. How you did this
to my mind. I said, hypothetically,
this Kyrie Irving.